A Different Life
by amy.ward.906
Summary: Madyson O'Connor has a great life. Good friends and a loving mom. What more could she ask for? Her dad. Little does she know, she is about to get her wish, but not in the way she expects.
1. Introductions

Lying in the sun, just basking in its warmth until…

SPLASH!

I sat upright, sputtering water someone had poured on me. Wiping my face with my hands, I saw who it was. Standing up and stalking towards them menacingly, the person knew they were going to die. Running after the person, I tackled him to the ground, wrestling around 'till a voice interrupted my attack.

"God, why don't you two just hook up already?"

I stood up from the ground letting go of my victim. "Not gonna happen."

"Aw, come on. You know you want this."

I started heading in his direction again as he hid behind a girl. "Christina, help! Don't let her get me!"

"Don't call me Christina!"

"Sorry Chris."

"It's cool." Turning to me she said, "Come on Mads, give Josh a break."

I pretended to think about it before…

"NOPE!" I yelled, tackling both of them. As we landed in a heap in the middle of the park, I laughed…hell we all laughed.

My name is Madyson O'Connor and this is my life.


	2. Mads, Chris and Josh

**Josh:** Joshua Grady, the guy I could always count on. Not my boyfriend though. We don't like each other that way. Not that he's gay or anything. He's totally straight. The gay one would be…

**Chris: **Christina Johnson, total lesbian, but very nice. She's my best friend. She keeps joking that Josh and I should get together (at least I hope she's joking) but Josh and I are too good of friends to do that and ruin anything we have together.

And finally there's me – Mads, that's what my friends call me. My mom on the other hand calls me Madyson, Madyson O'Connor.

I'm an average 15 year old girl with best friends, a great mom, average grades in school and in my opinion, the best life a girl could ask for. What can go wrong?

Oops I just jinxed myself didn't I?


	3. A Trip to the Cemetery

As we all lay there laughing, I had a sudden thought.

"Hey guys, what's today?

"Uh…Tuesday?"

Christina just smacked Josh, "You brainless, it's the 15th Mads."

"I gotta go," I said getting up from the ground.

Josh sat up looking at me, suddenly realizing what was happening. "You want some company tonight?"

"Nah guys, I'm cool."

"You sure? We could have our world famous sleepover."

Chris just laughed, "Sure Josh, last time we didn't emerge for a week. Your mom almost called the cops to report you missing."

Christina was referring to my 11th birthday party, when we all holed up in my room for the entire Spring Break. Josh got grounded for 2 months after that fiasco.

"I'm fine; my mom's not working tonight. I'll catch you guys later."

They nodded and headed off in various directions, while I on the other hand, headed to a florist on the corner and bought a single white rose and headed to the cemetery. When I got there, I went to my usual spot, kneeled down and placed the rose in front of the marker. I sat there for over an hour before the grounds keeper came through.

"Getting late, Miss O'Connor," he said.

"Thanks Larry," I said in reply. Larry has been the grounds keeper here for over 15 years. He's been protective of me since I started coming here 5 years ago. Getting caught in the rain one night and sharing a cup of hot chocolate with a sad 10 year old can form the strangest friendships.

As I left the spot where I was, I kissed my fingers and placed them on the marker whispering, "I love you Daddy."


	4. A Child's Wish

Heading home as quickly as I could, I shed a few tears. It hurt to think about him sometimes. My father Adrian was killed by a drunk driver when I was 10. I miss him so much. But I still have my mom and for that I am grateful.

As I got home, my mom just looked at me. Pulling me into a hug, she said, "I miss him too baby." She knew how hard today could be for me. That night as I lay in bed, I looked at the picture of us that rests on my nightstand. As I drift off to sleep, I whisper, "I wish I could see my dad again."

**3****rd**** person POV**

From outside the house, someone utters the words…

WISH GRANTED!


	5. What Bizarro World did i Wake up in P1

**Disclaimer: I don't own AtS…at all… (crying hysterically)**

**A/N: Yes I stole the title for this chapter from Cordy's (Charisma Carpenter) line in Your Welcome…Get over it! I thought it seemed appropriate for what this chapter reveals.**

**Read it! Love It! Review it!**

My sleep was disturbed by a gentle shaking. Someone was shaking me awake. This person is going to die. I grab a pillow and try and make contact.

Pillow is taken…contact unsuccessful.

"Come on Mady-girl."

"Five more minutes."

"Come on sweetie, do I have to get Spike?"

"Who's Spike?" I ask as I turn over and open my eyes. As my eyes open I start screaming.

"Charisma…?"

"Are you okay honey?"

I sit up just as a thin brunette woman holding a dagger and a man with glasses pointing a crossbow enter my room.

"Is everything all right Cordelia?"

"Yeah Wesley."

_Cordelia? Wesley? Uh-oh…I'm on the set of Angel!_ "I'm cool, just had a nightmare is all."

"Are you quite sure?"

"Chill Wes, it's fine. I'll be down in about 15 minutes."

Cordelia shrugged and left the room followed by Wesley and Fred. I took a shower and got dressed, while trying to come to grips with the reality I was in. As I started downstairs, I figured it out. Josh and Christina must have put this thing together to cheer me up. How they got the money to pull this off, I have no idea, but it was amazing. I decided to confront them and thank them, then pummel Josh for scaring me half to death.

As I reached the lobby, I heard Angel telling Gunn about some ballet. _Good, at least I know what episode they are rehearsing…but wait. If this is a joke, should they be rehearsing?"_

"Morning," I said, as I entered the lobby.

"Hey there sweet potato," Lorne said, as he fed Connor.

"Breakfast?" asked Gunn, holding up a hash brown. Half of it suddenly broke off and dropped to the floor with a plop.

I let out a small laugh, "No thanks. I am going to go out for a walk."

Angel came over, "You alright? Cordy said you had a nightmare."

"Fine, just need some fresh air."

Angel nodded. As I turned around to leave, Connor started crying.

"Uh-oh, someone didn't say good-bye," said Lorne as he handed me the baby. As I cradled Connor, he stopped crying. "Don't worry, I'm coming right back." He suddenly started crying again.

"He's just wet," Angel said. He moved to take him upstairs and change him. I stopped him, "I can do it." I took him upstairs and laid him down on the changing table. As I changed his diaper, I started talking to him, "You know what's going on, don't ya kid?" Connor started cooing. "Okay so what is it huh?" He blew a raspberry.

_Great I'm expecting an answer from a baby. I've totally and completely lost it._

I finished changing him and went downstairs, handed him to Angel and left for a walk.


	6. What Bizarro World did i Wake up in P2

Leaving the Hyperion _'yep the Hyperion' _I thought looking at the sign, _'Man, Josh and Chrissy really pulled out all the stops' _I headed into the streets of Los Angeles. I decided to forgo walking to my neighborhood and chose to catch a bus instead.

Once I got on and sat down, I started to think more about how my friends would be able to pull this off. I mean the money it would cost and the fact that I was moved while I was sleeping. Plus the Hyperion _'wait a minute here' _I thought _'the Hyperion doesn't exist.' _That building was actually some kind of office. Josh's dad works there.

I pulled the cord signaling the bus to stop. As it did I tore off the bus and started running the rest of the way. As I approached the park I saw Josh. I halted to a stop to catch my breath. Once I did I walked over to him and smacked him hard.

"OW! What was that for?"

"You know exactly what that was for Joshua Adam Grady!" I said, thoroughly peeved off.

"How do you know my name?"

Christina walked up right then and kissed his cheek, "Hey Josh who's this?"

"Chris, thank the Goddess. Can you please tell Josh here to 'fess up? I mean I love what you guys planned. Other than freaking out when I woke up, it was epic. Oh and where did you guys get the cash to pull this off?"

"Do we know you?"

"Nice one Chris, really it's… wait did you kiss Josh?"

"Why wouldn't I kiss my boyfriend?"

"Funny Chris, ain't you gay?"

"Excuse me?"

Freaking out again about what was going on I went with a joke and said "Gotcha!" before taking off. As I hid behind a tree, I saw my friends talking about me being a weirdo. Making no progress, I went towards my house hoping my mom was home. Luck was with me, 'cause as I got there I saw her heading out. _'Probably to work' _

"Hey Mom!" I yelled.

"Yes?"

"Mom, Josh and Chris are acting really weird."

"Sweetie, are you lost?"

My throat felt like it had a lump in it. "You don't recognize me do you?"

"No, should I?"

"I'm sorry ma'am. I just got confused there for a second." I told her trying to hide my sadness.

"Are you alright? Do you need to call someone?"

'_Who would I call?' _

"No I'm fine. Sorry to bother you." I said before taking off. Once I got off my block, I slowed down and started walking, letting my feet take me wherever they wanted. Snapping out of a daze after a while I realized I was down by the pier. Sitting on the beach I hugged my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Looking out into the water, I let my mind drift as the sun set.

'_Chris and Josh might fake this, but my mom doesn't know me. What is going on?'_

I started to get cold as the night air settled in. Shivering I sat there, not being able to pick myself up. A few tears trickled down my cheeks.

"Madyson?" I heard a voice from behind me say. Turing my head towards the voice I saw that it was Wesley. He came over.

"Are you all right? Your father has been worried sick."

Looking at me face (I must have been pale) he felt my forehead. Apparently I did not have a fever, but he must have realized I was cold because he pulled off his jacket and wrapped me up in it. Then he brushed some hair from my face before helping me to stand.

"Wesley?"

"Hmm?"

"Who am I?" I asked him before my knees buckled and I collapsed. Well I would have if Wesley hadn't caught me. Sweeping one arm under my knees while his other supported my upper body, he carried me to a truck.

"Damn Wes! Is she alright?"

"I'm not sure Gunn, something might have happened. I think she is in shock." He said as he loaded me into the vehicle between him and Gunn.

"No," I said in a low voice, "Just cold." I was shivering a bit, so Gunn turned the heat up as he started the truck. As he drove he asked me, "So where you been kid? Your old man almost had a heart attack."

I shrugged and leaned against Wes, fighting to keep my eyes open. Wesley noticed, so he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against him. With Wesley holding me and the movement of the truck I slowly fell into a fitful sleep.


	7. Conversations and Questions

I wake up just as Gunn's truck pulled up in front of the Hyperion. Gunn cut the engine as Wesley and I got out. I could tell Wesley wanted to carry me inside, and I was half-tempted to let him. I was still feeling kind of shaky but I knew I had to walk inside on my own and figure out what was happening. So that's what I did, I walked inside on my own, of course not without Wesley trailing close to me. I guess he was afraid I was gonna pass out or something.

As I opened the door, I was ambushed by a cold-skinned brunette shape dressed in black as well as a silk pajama clad female. Angel and Cordy were smothering me; Cordy looking me over, checking me for injuries, while Angel gave Wesley the third degree.

"Is she alright? Where was she? What happened?"

I decided to intervene, mainly to spare Wesley. With him being the research guy on the show, I would need him alive and unharmed in order to figure out what happened.

"Chill Angel, I'm fine. I just lost track of time."

But that didn't convince him. "You've been crying and your heart rate's irregular."

'_Damn his vamp senses' _"Okay something freaked me out a bit."

"What scared you?"

"Never mind," I told him.

"Madyson…" he growled.

"I'm fine. But if you're not careful, you might give yourself a heart attack. Now I'm going to bed. I've had a long day. Good night Wesley, good night Cordy, Angel." I headed upstairs and went to sleep.

_Meanwhile downstairs in the lobby_

"Wesley is she really okay?"

"I don't think so Angel. She didn't seem like herself."

"Ya think?" Cordy said. "I mean what she said about Angel giving himself a heart attack wasn't like her."

Angel agreed, "Plus she called me Angel. That's definitely not like her."

"Well perhaps whatever happened today gave her a scare. When I found her she was shivering, pale and quite scared. She also said something odd."

"Which was?" Angel asked.

"She asked me who she was."

Cordy got pissed, "Wolfram and Hart, it has to be them right?"

Angel just nodded, "I'll pay them a visit tomorrow."


	8. Words should be chosen carefully P1

**Disclaimer: Okay, I have not posted one of these in a while so here. I do not own Angel, Cordelia, Lorne, Wesley, Gunn or Connor. I do not own anyone or anything involving this wonderful show except for my own crazy ideas and the twisted universe that I create with them.**

Falling asleep the night before took me longer than normal. My mind was racing with so many questions. Who was I? Why was I here in the Hyperion (which technically did not even exist)? Why didn't my mom or my best friends remember me? It was like my life that I had before ceased to exist and I was thrust into a whole new universe.

As I exited the bedroom I could hear a baby crying. Following the sounds I walked into Connor's room. Going over to him and picking him up, I realized why the kid was crying, "Time for diaper duty munchkin."

Opening his onesie and removing his diaper, I almost gagged. I had baby-sat a few times, but this was RANK!

'_How does Angel not smell this?'_

"You may be the Miracle Child, but the contents of this diaper are anything but a miracle." I told the squirming bundle as I changed him. Of course he just laughed. I sighed as I picked him up and headed downstairs. Entering the lobby, I spotted a playpen and immediately deposited the baby in it, which earned me a chuckle from Wesley who was, of course, looking at some ancient books.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he replied, stifling a laugh.

"Laugh now Book-Man, but it won't be so funny when I let you change the next diaper." I told Wesley, glaring at him.

"Short-stack gave you a super-size surprise, sweet pea?" Lorne asked as he came downstairs.

"Don't even go there." I said, clearly showing I was annoyed. Turning my attention back to Wesley I asked him, "So where's Angel?"

Wesley looked at me strangely for a moment before speaking, "Your father is sleeping."

"Oh…okay. So what are you looking for? Another prophecy?"

"Not today thankfully, just trying to identify what kind of demon has been wreaking havoc in Los Angeles lately. I only have a brief description and what is making it harder is this demon can take human form."

"So what does it look like when it is demony?" I asked Wesley.

"The reports say burnt or wrinkled skin."

"So like Freddy Krueger?"

"Have you been watching Nightmare on Elm Street again?" a voice from behind me said. I let out a small shriek as Angel picked me up and set me on the counter.

"Nope," I said shaking my head.

"Madyson…"

"No horror movie watching here, just Wesley research helping with books and words. Ooh and pictures too." I picked up a book, flipping through it. Then I stopped.

"Wesley what kind of demon is this?"

He came over to look at the book in my hands, "The demon I am looking for. Thank you," he said, taking the book from me.

I huffed, "What kind?" I asked him again.

"Oh," he said, looking up from the book for a brief moment, "It's a vengeance demon. They grant wishes to people in pain."

"What kind of pain?"

"Usually heartbreak, there are also justice demons which are more rare, and they right wrongs in people's lives."

"Cool."

"Yes very…um…"

"Yeah I get it. You got work to do and I need to get lost."

"Why don't you go talk to Cordelia?"

"Kay," I said before hopping down off the counter. "Hey where's Cordy?" I asked Angel who was in the office.

"Upstairs."

I nodded then raced upstairs. Finding Cordy I asked her where Lorne was.

"He went over to the club sweetie, why?"

I nodded at her before running back downstairs and running over to Caritas. I was on a mission and nothing was going to stop me.

**A/N: Think of Madyson as a mix of Buffy and Willow because that is who I am channeling for her right now**


	9. Words should be chosen carefully P2

As I raced outside I knew I was in trouble. First this was the second time in two days I had taken off with no clue when I would be back and second I had no idea where Lorne's club was. On the show it didn't show much of it except for the inside.

So I decided to find a phone book and track down the club that way. I know I probably could have just looked at one back at the hotel but I couldn't take the chance of anyone asking me what I was looking for, at least not until I knew what I was doing here in this universe, and Lorne reading me seemed like the most logical solution.

All of a sudden I had an idea. Screw the phone book, I just need to find a payphone and call Information. It took me a few minutes to find one, but I did I dialed 4-1-1.

"Information," said a bored-sounding telephone operator.

"The address to Caritas please," I asked.

"One moment," she said.

_3 minutes later_

"401 Parkway Drive."

"Thanks," I said before hanging up. Luckily I knew where Parkway Drive was. Heading over there I knew Lorne was going to need a Seabreeze or two after reading me.


	10. Words should be chosen carefully P3

Finding the club I headed inside. "Lorne, you here?" I called out. He came out from his room in the back.

"Hey baby-girl, what are you doing here? Is everything alright? Where's your dad?"

"Look Lorne, just chill for a second. Angel's brooding or working, either way he's in his office. Well he was when I left the Hyperion. I'm here because I need a favor."

Lorne looked at me, "What's going on?"

I let out a sigh. This was not going to be easy to explain to him, that much I knew. "Here's the thing. I know everyone is saying that I haven't been acting like myself lately and I think they are right because… well…"

"Sweetie, it's okay," Lorne said, consoling me.

"NO IT'S NOT!" I yelled. "I'm not who you think I am."

"What are you talking about?"

"What's my name?"

Lorne just looked at me funny.

"Please Lorne, just humor me for now okay?"

"Okay sweetie, you are Madyson O'Connor. You are 15 years old."

"But Angel's not my dad."

Lorne thought he had the problem figured out, "Cupcake did you and Angel-cakes get into another fight?"

"Lorne, I mean it. My dad's Adrian O'Connor, he was killed in a car accident 5 years ago."

"Mady…"

'_He still doesn't believe me' _"Read me," I told Lorne.

"Madyson-

I interrupted him begging, "Lorne please, something is wrong. I think I have an idea of what it might be, but I need you to read me to make sure."

Lorne gave a nod of his head, finally agreeing with me. I started singing "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. By the first chorus his eyes were wide and he had changed from his usual shade of green to something resembling mint or pistachio. Going behind the bar he fixed himself a drink.

'_I knew he was going to need a Seabreeze'_

He drank 3 of them and sat down. "Mady, we need to call Angel."


End file.
